IOC warns Rio Olympic organizers, suspends India

AP

Rio organizers have replaced chief executive

IOC says Rio needs to attack preparations 'with vigor'

India faced sanction because of government interference

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — With concern mounting about the pace of progress for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the IOC is warning Brazilian organizers that "time is ticking" and they must attack the project "with all vigor" to ensure that the first Olympics in South America are a success.

In other developments, the IOC suspended India's national Olympic committee because of government interference in its election process, two officials with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

With the 2016 games less than four years away, Rio organizers briefed the International Olympic Committee executive board on Tuesday on their preparations amid leadership changes and continuing uncertainty about the budget and location of some sports venues.

Rio brought its new chief executive, Sidney Levy, who will take over the post in January. He will replace Leonardo Gryner, who becomes the chief operations officer.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams says "our message remains (that) there is time, but time is ticking, and they need to carry on attacking this one with all vigor."

After months of warnings, the IOC executive board imposed the sanction when the Indian Olympic Association failed to comply with the world body's demands for holding independent elections, the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement hadn't been made yet. An IOC news conference was scheduled for later Tuesday at the end of the executive board's first day of a two-day meeting.

Suspension means the Indian body will stop receiving IOC funding and its officials will be banned from attending Olympic meetings and events. India's athletes will be barred from competing in Olympic events under their national flag, although the IOC could allow them to do so under the Olympic

Adams, the IOC spokesman, said he could not comment.

"I can't discuss that because any decisions that are taken have to be communicated to any countries involved," he said.

In New Delhi, acting IOA president Vijay Kumar Malhotra told the AP that the association "has not been intimated about any suspension so far."

Indian Sports Minister Jitendra Singh called the IOC decision "very unfortunate, more so for sports persons."

"I'm only concerned about the sports persons, am waiting for details," he told the Times Now news channel.

Abhey Singh Chautala, who is unopposed for election as IOA president, told reporters in New Delhi that a suspension would be a "one-sided decision."

"We had written to them, asking them to give some time to our two-member committee to tell them about our position," he said. "They've not listened to our side. We will go to IOC again and explain to them how elections were carried out here."

The IOC had also recently threatened to suspend Kuwait's Olympic committee, but the Gulf nation amended its sports law last week and was not hit with an IOC sanction on Tuesday.

The IOC had repeatedly told the Indian body to adhere to its own constitution and the Olympic Charter and not follow the government's sports code for this week's elections. The IOC will not recognize the results if the elections are held under government rules.